Rosemead Legal Costs

Bye bye Bonifacio
By Jennifer McLain on March 23, 2009 12:37
The city attorney known for his late - and high - billing habits resigned from his post as Rosemead's legal defender on March 19, reporter Rebecca Kimitch confirmed today.

Bonifacio Garcia was hired on April 3, 2007, the same day that the city was slapped with a lawsuit by a former city employee alleging that former Councilman John Nunez subjected her to sexual harassment.

The lawsuit was later dropped and there was a settlement, and officials have said that Garcia's hiring date was just a coincidence that it fell on the same day the lawsuit was filed

During the time that Garcia was employed, he charged the city more than double the amount it budgeted for legal fees. Garcia and Nunez worked together at the Garvey School District.

The City Council will consider hiring Joe Montes of Burke, Williams and Sorensen as the interim city attorney.

Jim Flournoy comments

Joe Montes has been doing an excellent job as attorney for the Rosemead Community Development Agency (Redevelopment Agency). The promotion is deserved.
Burke Williams and Sorenson have also served the City as Special Council is Election and other matters. Good Choice.

March 23, 2009 6:08 PM

John Nunez was on the Garvey School Board when it hired Bonny Garcia sometime in the last century. John left the Garvey Board and moved to the Alhambra High School District Board. Garcia has been retained by Garvey. Former Mayor Bob Breusch said at a recent Rosemead City Council meeting that Garcia had saved the District many dollars in legal fees. Perhaps Garcia should have been hired by Rosemead earlier. Nunez remembered Garcia's work from Garvey and suggested him for Rosemead where he was hired after a competitive interview by a majority of the Council.
Lots of deferred maintenance still to be cleaned up folks.

March 23, 2009 6:41 PM

James I. Flournoy said:
Anonymous said
This kind of abuse must never take place again.

You never get more than what you pay for.
Under Jay and Gary the City attorney was paid to just sit there, cover his ears and eyes and keep his mouth shut.
To bad as Peter Wallin was a decent chap.

Another example of the "three monkeys" version of City Attorney as practiced before Garcia.

The City applied for and was given a large Grant to produce a Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan. This is the kind of plan that New Orleans did not have for Katrina and which Rosemead does not have for the "big one".

Jay, Gary, and Maggie let a contract to the cheapest outfit they could find. They could have found a better product on the internet. The Alhambra Fire Department did a better job. The only worse result that I've see is EMUHSD.
Now the story differs. Either Rosemead never finished the DHMP or it was REJECTED by the state.

Our new administration under the leadership of John Tran and John Nunez got the project underway again.

Meanwhile Rosemead is not in compliance and has taken funds without accomplishing the task.
A claim could have been filed under the Federal False Claims Act.
Garcia assured me that the plan would be produced ASAP and last week I confirmed this with Oliver and Bryan.
Expect a public scoping meeting soon.

Garcia was paid to keep little problems from becoming big problems.

Anon said"
"Roll up your selves Councilmenbers!"

There is still lots of work to do cleaning up 20 years of Jay-Gary-Maggie.

Will Maggie and Gary want to fix the problems or continue to be the problem?

Do not expect Joe Montez to keep his eyes closed.